KATHMANDU: Girirajmani Pokharel, Nepal’s Minister for Education, Science and Technology, has become the country’s second cabinet minister to test positive for the novel coronavirus, his personal aide said. “Minister Pokharel was tested positive for Covid-19,” Puran K.C., personal secretary of Minister Pokharel wrote on his social media account on Sunday.
In a telephone interview with Xinhua, the aide said that the Minister was admitted to Kathmandu Valley-based Patan Hospital on Saturday after developing a fever.
“His swab was collected on Saturday and its test confirmed infection with coronavirus on Sunday,” Puran added. Pokharel is currently receiving treatment at an isolation ward of the hospital. On Saturday, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai confirmed that he had tested positive for Covid-19, becoming the first cabinet minister to contract the disease.
The two positive cases came after at least five of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli’s aides contracted the virus. Some of the aides have since tested negative after days of home isolation.
Press advisor Surya Thapa has been given all-clear by the latest test. The aides’ infections have raised concern about the potential risks for Oli. So far, Nepal has recorded a total of 107,755 confirmed Covid-19 cases, with 636 deaths.
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